Attorney General Calls on Trump to Withdraw Clean Power Plan

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel joined a 24-state mainly Republican coalition urging President-elect Donald Trump and congressional leaders to withdraw President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and take the necessary steps to ensure similar or more extreme proposals never again take shape. The letter – addressed to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Senate President Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan – suggests a four-point strategy that begins with President-elect Trump rescinding his predecessor’s Climate Action Plan on day one. The coalition suggests Trump follow with formal administrative action to withdraw the Power Plan and related matters in court. Finally, the coalition recommends Congress take longer-term legislative action. The proposed legislative fix aims to prevent any future U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from drafting similarly unlawful and/or more extreme rules. The coalition suggests the new White House work with Congress to adopt such legislation. The legal challenge argues the Power Plan exceeded EPA’s congressional authority by transforming the nation’s energy industry, double regulating coal-fired power plants and forcing states to fundamentally shift their energy portfolios away from coal-fired generation. Among the 24 signatories were two Democratic attorneys general – Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Chris Koster of Missouri.